Washington Redskins coaching rumors shift from Eric Bieniemy to Ron Rivera

The mantle of “favorite” among NFL coaching rumors has shifted in Washington from Chiefs assistant Eric Bieniemy to former Panthers coach Ron Rivera.

The winds of change have been blowing in the nation’s capital for the last two months—ever since the Washington Redskins fired Jay Gruden as head coach in an effort to get a head start on replacing him for the 2020 NFL season and beyond. Now they’re continuing to blow as a new rumors has upended Eric Bieniemy as the favorite for the job. In his place as the strongest candidate is former Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera.

Rivera should be a hot commodity on the coaching market and, given his track record in Carolina, he should find himself gainfully employed with some team in the very near future. Washington would do well to hire someone of Rivera’s consistency given the state of the team’s leadership structure and the general lack of respect league-wide for Washington as a stable organization.

Then again, seeing Rivera emerge as a favorite is bad news for Bieniemy, the offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs. Early rumors after Gruden’s firing touted Bieniemy as a prime candidate for the job. Andy Reid has been lobbying for Bieniemy to get a chance to lead his own team and he might need such a public nudge again after being interviewed last year at this time by at least one team without getting hired.

Bieniemy lacks the head coaching experience that Rivera brings which could put him over the top, but the Chiefs O.C. also comes as part of the heralded coaching tree of Reid himself. Rivera is also a part of that, albeit far in the past, and Bieniemy could help jumpstart an offense that is lacking serious firepower in recent years. Bieniemy’s work with Patrick Mahomes, Kareem Hunt, Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce in the last couple years should serve him well—if given the chance.

If Bieniemy returns for another year, it will give the Chiefs that much more consistency, but for a coach already so well-groomed for a spot, it would likely be more disheartening knowing that Bieniemy is having to wait yet again for a shot he’s deserved for some time.